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Rhode Island

to heck with all the "grunts of the garden" we (including myself) always talk about.

where are the ladies of the patch? those gals that can stand side by side with any gumpy old grunt grower and kick his butt?

i know you are out there because over the years we have seen three world champion growers who just happened to be females.

come on ladies here is your chance to speak out. who are you? where are you? what did you do in 2006? what are your goals for 2007? do you have a partner that also grows along side of you ?

thanks

pap

11/10/2006 1:09:46 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

My son, Riley and I have been growing AGs for a few years here in Santa Cruz, CA. I'm not sure we could ever grow a world record pumpkin with our climate, but our next years goal is to get over the 650lb mark. We live about a mile from the beach so we get lots of fog and cool nights. I was trying to convince my hubby that we need a big green house like the guy in Alaska but he's not sold on the idea (yet)and thinks this is already an expensive hobby. He wants to grow next year...so he may get hooked too.
This last year was our first year knowing better what we were doing especially when it comes to pumpkin genetics. I spent the good part of last winter learning about the backgrounds of the seeds and purchasing some good ones at different auctions here on bigpumpkins.com. We did our first soils test last year and added gypsum and manure to the patch.(thanks to Steve J.) Riley's pumpkin from our 1180 Daletas took our county fair at 630lbs. He was pretty thrilled.
This year out of 6 plants we got: 644 Sprinsock (1233.5 Reiss X 1097 Beachy), 630 Sprinsock (1180 Daletas x 1420.5 LaRue), 475 Albrecht (1413 Beauchemin x 1420.5 LaRue) 534 Albrecht DMG (1420.5 LaRue x 1180 Daletas) 369 Albrecht est (695 Handy x 1413 Beauchemin) 440 Albrecht DMG (1097 Beachy x self) -Kristine

11/10/2006 2:03:15 PM

Michigan

I'm Jessica Smith from Texas, and the '06 season was my first growing AG's. I managed to see my pumpkin weigh in at 657 lbs (1011 Beachy x 501 Fawcett), not too terrible for our amazingly hot summer! It was a new Texas State Record (YEAH!!!), so not a bad outcome for a first season!! My husband helps out plenty in the patch, he is the official dirt/manure mover and I could not do it without his help. My goal for '07 is of course to beat my weight from last season (pumpkin weight, not personal weight!!!)

~Jessica

11/10/2006 3:33:42 PM

Parker, Co

cindi glasier reporting in from napa ,ca.....i had a great year with a pumpkin weighing in at 1147. good thing too because i was ready to quit if i blew one more pumpkin. i have had some nice ones growing the last two years that split in august. i was just ready to throw in the "pumpkin towel" but now....now i am ready for next year!!! i think i will try the 992.5 glasier again or maybe the 1075 glasier from this season. pam vanderschoot is also a lady grower in napa. i think i have my 84 year old MOM ready to try to grow this next season in Houston. watch out, texas!!!

11/10/2006 5:51:55 PM

Sort of Sunny Sometimes, WA

Well, I guess that means I have to belly up to the message board too, seeing as Cindi is the one that got me started. Funny how that happens. . . . :D
In 2004 following a racquetball game, and prior to Pete and Cindi's move back to Napa ~ Cindi gave me a packet of pumpkin seeds in exchange for allowing her to win the next game. I guess it was worth it, since I've loved growing them ever since. Still have lots to learn ~ but 2007 is the year to start taking the Boom for serious! Thanks Cindi~

11/10/2006 7:56:49 PM

Sort of Sunny Sometimes, WA

Oh, and one more thing. . . Cindi is responsible for sending me an Egyptian cotton (see, I remembered!) towel with my nickname "Boom Boom" embroidered on it.

11/10/2006 7:58:40 PM

van isle b.c. canada

Hi, I am a lady grower and I happened to grow the 500 wallace this year. It was my biggest pumpkin ever. It weighed 695 pounds. I live on Vancouver Island b.c. canada. I share a spot in the garden with my husband Craig Sandvik.I am going to grow the 695 sandvik (500 wallace x 1068 wallace.)in 07. Darlene

11/10/2006 8:03:41 PM

So. Maine

My wife does all the work in the garden but gives me all the credit.... lol , AL

11/10/2006 9:15:46 PM

maine USA

Oh, so thats your secret Al!
I am Kathy Truong, from Lewiston Maine. I'm on my own, my husband thinks this giant pumpkin business is a little unusual although amusing. This is my second year, and I grew an 812 lb pumpkin from Al Berards 575.
I am definitely going to grow the 575 again, and I am going to try to talk my son Randall into growing it as well.
KathyT

11/11/2006 12:28:04 AM

Chippewa Falls, WI

Well, 2006 was a rough year for me..No electricity or water untill it was half way through the growing season. so I had nothing. But 2005 I had 757.5 AENGEL :)
As for 2006. We bought 5.19 acres and planted EVERYTHING over there. I had some excellent seeds go out in the field and either the dang gofers ate the seeds, they froze off or the rotted or they grew. But We could not get any pollination to stick. they all aborted.( I believe to hot 100 degrees while trying to do this plus no water)Then it got to the point we finally put in an irrigation system> And it was pretty much to late. Saved our field pumpkins. So anything that was out in the field was cross polinated.(No good) :( But my daughter kicked both Shannon's and my butt with a cross polination of hers and 450lbs. So great job Chardonnay!
As for next year.. we will have our house built and living right at the land from here on out.. SO WATCH OUT :)
April

11/11/2006 7:11:39 AM

2006 was my 4th year. But instead of at the home patch in WI, I was growing in a garden plot in Pennsylvania, at the site of my internship. I planted in mid June and grew one small plant, and ended up with a 433.5 pounder (UOW) that went to a community fair, and also to a daycare/preschool on Halloween. No pesticides and hardly any fertilizers were used, the cuke beetles had a feast the whole summer, and only hand irrigation with a hose was used.
2007... well that depends where I live next summer, I might have another internship someplace far from WI. It might be a few more years before I can grow seriously again.

11/11/2006 8:21:46 AM

Massillon, Ohio

2006 was my 5th year growing but didnt go as planned. When all was said and done, I only had one fruit. I can only blame myself for the damage that was done in early May that messed up my plants. It weighed 925.5 so I cannot complain too much (although Dick, I clearly remember this summer when you said something to the fact that "It's pointless to even bother taking anything under 1000 to a weighoff" LOL. But I understood where you were coming from and didnt take it personally. hahahaa :)

I have been enjoying seeing all the female growers popping up in this area. Shoutout goes to Maggie, Glenna, and Michelle, you girls are awesome!!!!!


P.S. I grow along side of my husband although he hasnt broken 800 yet; so it's not like I'm stealing his secrets. ;) love ya nick LOL.

11/11/2006 9:50:31 AM

Michigan

Cindi-

How fabulous, you should definately get your mother growing here in Texas!!! There are so few growers down here, would love to have some more! And congrats on what sounds like a great season.

~Jessica

11/11/2006 9:52:46 AM

western PA

This will be my first year growing AGs. I live in Ellwood City, PA. I have always grown pumpkins, but just got off-the-shelf seed. I bought a packet of 2 seeds at the Canfield, OH weigh-off, 1103.5 Rose-d, F- 1097.5 Beachy M- 1260 Weir. I'm also getting some seeds from MontyJ in WV, I'll grow those up at our camp near Clarion, PA. I breed angora rabbits, so I have lots of free fertilizer. I don't have a lot of space, though, so this will be a challenge. My hubby thinks this is a great idea, I'll have a lot of help from him. :)

11/11/2006 11:41:29 AM

Grants Pass, Oregon

This is my 6th year growing AG's, I live in Grants Pass , Oregon and I do all the work and growing. This year I got a 842.5 off the 1247 Handy, a 750 off the 1201 Larue, a 748.5 off the 1225 Jutras and a 695 off the 1180 Daletas. Now next year will be a goal to see over 850 pounds. Cary Polka

11/11/2006 12:52:16 PM

addison Il

tracy here and this will be my third yr growing my personal best so far is a 262 and it was grown from a seed i recived from tlish here on big pumpkins. I work in the garden patch with my best friend and sister and we grow for competion amongest ourselves but mostly to just have fun.Im a single mom of a little boy who loves to help me grow giants and togetehr and with seeds from geneorous growers here, he with moms help has gotten his whole school into growing giants. Hopefully by next yr we will see many little giant growers in my area mabye even a weigh off at his school will see with giants anything can happen. Im glad to have found this site and have met some great peaple as for female growers the ones i have talked to heres a grow em big to boom boom, green angel, pumpkin lisa,brigitte and to the others i have not met yet may you all grow big after all history shows its the women with the green thumbs LOL

11/11/2006 1:20:51 PM

Minerva,ohio

Michelle here-
2006 was my sophmore year growing. I soo wanted to break my personal best of 691 but this year I fell a wee bit short with my biggest pumpkin officialy weighing 638#, yep I'm still sore over that one but wait til next time, I'm working on my soil this off season and hopefully the future has some bigger numbers waiting for me :)

Yay!!! for the Gal growers!!! Go Glenna, Maggie and Christy too,she's pro for sure :) You gals R-O-C-K!!!!

My Hubby,Curtis is becoming more interested each year,I try to give him the uglies in the patch to care for, but somehow they always come back to Momma.
Curtis. . . U the man :)

11/14/2006 9:17:00 AM

[email protected]

My wife Lorraine never logs onto this website (Phew!) unless there is some eBay fiasco going on.

This spring she got tired of seeing an extra start sitting around on the back deck. She stuck it in the ground & had fun playing around. An open pollination in early August had her all pumped up but the Squirrels ruined her fun.

I hope she was bitten. We need more women growers. Kids too.

11/14/2006 11:01:31 AM

Massillon, Ohio

Glenna...chiming in from "Girl Power USA" - Stark Co. Ohio!! This was my first year for AG growing - and first weighoff at Canfield. I was happy with my first PB of 685 lbs. I have had many amazements: how fast they grow - how much there is to learn - how much there is to do. But I am mostly amazed at this family of people on BP - your willingness to share info and seeds - and especially the comraderie - truly amazing! I'm proud to be a part of y'all.

11/14/2006 11:17:56 AM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

Jane, my wife is my biggest supporter. She grows giant watermelons & I grow the pumpkins, but it's really a team effort. After my back injury, I couldn't do the heavier jobs in the patch, so Jane took over those chores for me. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be growing competitively. She just doesn't post on any website.

Phil

11/15/2006 7:35:44 AM

Nashville, TN

Laura, AKA 'Scienceteacher' - Just growing them to study them. Though my largest ones seem to be getting bigger every year!

My three biggest accomplishments in '06? Possibly finding the 'rs gene' in GPs (requires further study), Possibly finding a dominant Green gene in GPs (Again, requires further study - hope those few seeds from it are good!), And winning my very first time entering a GP in a fair! ...(not the biggest accomplishment - but it was the only one that didn't rot in the county prior to the fair!! a 400lb - big for me!)

11/16/2006 5:24:52 PM

Nashville, TN

OOPs, Forgot to mention - the hubby and the kids do help.. The Hubby got his SkidLoader - so I could have something to lift these GPs with... The kids got to help hand-pollinate. Next year each of the younger ones will get to enter one in the fair. Whoever's wins takes the rest of the family out to THEIR choice of restuarants - with the $100 winnings. (sigh.....It'll probably be Gattie's)

11/16/2006 5:28:58 PM